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CWSB Vehicles and Vessels
Homebrew Reference Book: Clone Wars Saga Edition Fan Sourcebook The following chapter features entries for hundreds of new vehicles used by various forces that took part in the Clone Wars. The gamemaster should feel free to adjust crew qualities as necessary to suit the needs of their specific campaign. Otherwise, these Vehicles are ready to use as allies or opponents, combat craft or civilian vessels, supplementing those presented in the official Star Wars Saga Edition Roleplaying Game books. Also presented in this chapter are a number of new Emplacements for which to modify Vehicles. These items are designed for use with the Starship Modification rules presented in chapter three of Starships of the Galaxy. Additional stock stats have been also been included in this chapter to aid in the creation of custom Vehicles for your campaign. Finally, alternate rules have been provided to facilitate some of the additions offered in this chapter. Technology The Clone Wars was the first epic conflict to sweep the galaxy in over one thousand years. During that millennium of peace, technological innovation and competition had slowed to a crawl. However, war has a way of driving technology, and the Clone Wars was no exception. New Vehicles and large-scale Droids began to appear across the battlefronts of the Clone Wars, driving each side to find new ways to counter enemy advantages and shore up their own weaknesses through invention. Innovative engineers grew exponentially in demand overnight, and technology saw improvements in leaps and bounds for the next several decades. New Systems Main Article: New Systems The individual systems of a vehicle can be modified beyond their factory settings. Using aftermarket add-ons like the ones presented below, the specifications of a ship can be altered to suit the needs of the owner. Vulnerabilities Main Article: Vulnerabilities Some Vehicles are designed imperfectly, or sacrifice certain capabilities for advantages in other areas. These sorts of engineering quirks are represented by Vulnerabilities. There are a number of different types of weaknesses that can be applied to a Vehicle, and in exchange, additional Emplacement Points are gained. Below are several examples of Vulnerabilities that can be applied to Vehicles. Getting Comfortable with Passenger Space Main Article: Getting Comfortable with Passenger Space What constitutes space for one passenger means different things on different ships. A passenger slot can mean something as simple as a chair, all the way up to a private stateroom with full accommodations. Below are some simple guidelines and suggestions for determining what a ship's passenger space actually entails based on the ship's size and consumables. Generally speaking, ships of Gargantuan size and smaller will only ever have a simple chair with crash-webbing for any passenger space. Ships of Colossal size and larger follow the guidelines listed below, as divided up by their consumables. New Stock Templates Main Article: New Stock Templates When creating a new Vehicle from scratch, the stock ships detailed on ''Starships of the Galaxy'' provide information on a variety of craft types. The following are additional stock ship and vehicle types that can be used when creating new designs. These Stock Templates can be improved upon with the Starship Modifications found in Starships of the Galaxy and Outlaw Tech as well as the new modification presented above. Confederate Vehicles See also: CIS Vehicles The Confederacy of Independent Systems is composed of a variety of trade guilds and corporations, each possessing their own makeshift militias and enforcers. Together, they are able to combine their Droid dominated forces to form an impressive military power. Separatist Vehicle forces are dominated by a small handful of Droid models and Starships, but countless variations and under-deployed models exist. This forces many Republic troops to fight Vehicles and ships they had very little information about during many of their battles. Ground Vehicles The Separatists use a combination of large-scale Droids and Droid-piloted Vehicles to support their army of Battle Droid infantry. Dominated by cost-efficient designs, repulsor technology takes a marked back-seat to Walkers and Tracked Vehicles. Crewed by expendable Droids, the Confederates consider their Vehicles, like their army, disposable, and their designs reflect the philosophy with a focus on armament instead of armor. Tracked Vehicles See also: Tracked Vehicles Rugged, reliable and reasonably priced, the Corporate Alliance has preferred Tracked Vehicles over repulsors for over a decade prior to the Separatist Movement’s formation. When the Clone Wars began, the Corporate Alliance donated much of its armored forces and Vehicle designs over to the Confederacy, most notably Non-Repulsor model number 99, the [[NR-N99 Persuader-Class Droid Enforcer|NR-N99 Persuader-Class Droid Enforcer]]. The Separatists soon find that the Tracked line of Vehicles, initially designed for rugged mining sites, efficiently translated to the battlefields of the Clone Wars. Walkers See also: Walkers Confederate Walkers are common among Separatist forces, including some larger models that were equal to tanks. The OG-9 Homing Spider Droid and Octuptarra Magna Tri-Droids are the most commonly deployed units, towering over Republic forces and defeating enemy armored Vehicles. Favored by both the Techno Union and Commerce Guild, Droid Walkers are most often scaled-up versions of infantry designs, which, while cost-efficient, were often weak against Jedi and special forces, who found the disproportionately thin legs of the Vehicles extremely vulnerable. Category:Homebrew Content Wheeled Vehicles See also: Wheeled Vehicles Typified by the Hailfire Droids of the InterGalactic Banking Clan, Wheeled Vehicles were found in many Confederate strike teams. The Banking Clan preferred Wheeled Vehicles for their reduced wear and tear on paved roads, mixed with their ability to handle the variety of terrains on which violent repossessions took place. The Hailfire-Class was specifically built for quick raids or long stand-offs, but its limited munitions made it especially weak in conflicts that involved prolonged engagements. Speeders See also: Speeders While a majority of the Separatist armored vehicles are not equipped with repulsorlift engines, when it comes to speedy scouting and patrol-craft, repulsor technology was the reigning selection. A variety of swoops, speederbikes and airhooks are used to both patrol secure areas and scout ahead of assault forces to provide reconnaissance data. Despite the philosophies of their Separatist allies, the Trade Federation had a distinct preference for conventional repulsorlift technology. It was the Trade Federation that supplied the bulk of the Separatist vehicle designs, which were already optimized to function as a part of their droid army. While the Trade Federation had a vast military force prior to the Separatist Crisis, the Clone Wars saw the production power of the Techno Union and their foundry worlds get squarely behind the designs, forming the backbone of Separatist vehicle forces. Airspeeders See also: Airspeeders Air superiority is one of the central tenants of warfare; if you control the air, you control the battlefield. However, when operating in a military theater that encompasses an entire galaxy, Airspeeders become a logistical liability, rather than an asset. The Separatists only relied on a relative handful of atmosphere-only fliers, instead relying on their hordes of "Vulture" Droid Starfighters to control the skies. However, some relatively small airships were created for the Confederates to function in a ground support role. Starfighters See also: Starfighters Starfighters are among the most versatile weapons platforms in the galaxy during the Clone Wars. They are often equally able to threaten their enemies while in space or in the atmosphere, and pack an unbelievable amount of firepower onto a small platform. The Separatists favored Droid Fighters, but had a number of manned Starfighters for mercenaries and elite units. Many of the planetary defense militias of worlds that pledged themselves to the Confederate cause late in the Clone Wars also used manned fighters; further diversifying designs available to the Separatists. Space Transports See also: Space Transports Logistical efficiency was a core strength of the Separatists long before hostilities with the Republic broke out. Transporting goods efficiently across the galaxy was taken beyond a science and into an art by the massive corporations, each bringing their own equipment and expertise to the Confederate military. As such, the CIS possesses a variety of transport craft that are able to land troops and equipment under a number of different scenarios. Along with their advantage in sheer numbers, their ability to efficiently shift resources was considered their second greatest advantage over the bureaucratic Republic. This advantage was slowly negated by Chancellor Palpatine’s consolidation of power into his office. Capital Ships See also: Capital Ships Largely consisted of converted merchant ships and modified bulk cargo designs, the Separatists were considered to be at something of a disadvantage in capital-scale ship combat early in the Clone Wars. However, the Pammant Docks and Foerost Shipyards, acquired early in the conflict, began supplying the Separatists with dedicated warships midway through the epic struggle. Of course, the Separatists were still considered to be at something of a disadvantage against the manufacturing might of Kuat Drive Yards throughout the Clone Wars. Republic Vehicles See also: Republic Vehicles The Grand Army of the Republic held a dramatically different vehicle design theory from their Confederate opponents; quality over quantity. Unfortunately, this was a philosophy of necessity rather than one of preference, as the Clone army had a limited number of soldiers, unlike the expendable hordes of Separatist Droids. Because of this, every affordable precaution was taken to protect Republic military assets, leading to the development of heavily armored walkers, well shielded fighters, and the most cutting-edge technology available combined with the best-trained soldiers and operators Kaminoans could grow. Ground Vehicles On the surface, the Republic primarily employed a mix of walker and repulsor Vehicles, largely ignoring Tracked Vehicles or Wheeled Vehicles. Though there were exceptions in the Decimator Tank and Juggernaut series of armored Vehicles, the Grand Army of the Republic relied first and foremost on the survivability and firepower of Walkers supported by the speed and maneuverability of repulsor-driven Speeders and Speeder Bikes. This gave the Republic a balance between launching lightning fast raids or long sieges, as well as the ability to fight on nearly any terrain. Tracked Vehicles See also: Tracked Vehicles An unheard of rarity in the Republic Armored Divisions, Tracked Vehicles were only experimented with briefly in the beginning of the Clone Wars. This influence came primarily from the Wookiees of Alaris Prime, who were contracted to develop the Decimator Tank for the Republic. When the Decimator fell into Separatist hands, and was later proven too expensive to manufacture, the idea of using Tracked Vehicles in the Clone Army was cast aside. Walkers See also: Walkers Crown jewel of the Republic Armored Division, Walkers make up the bulk of mechanized infantry, tanks, and mobile armor and artillery. While these Vehicles are relatively slow, Republic Gunships are able to deploy them under combat conditions very near to their targets, shoring up their weakness. They all possess great firepower and incredibly thick armor plating, and pose quite a threatening sight while marching inevitably toward their target of destruction. Wheeled Vehicles See also: Wheeled Vehicles Unfortunately for the Republic, not every planet featured terrain that was particularly well-suited to Walkers or repulsors. Occasionally, planets seemed to conspire to make repulsors unattractive due to thick forests or brush, or ionization effects in the atmosphere, which would typically ensure a heavy deployment of Walkers. Frustratingly enough, some of these planets also had ground that was too soft for the larger walker vehicles to operate on with much efficiency. In regions that met these requirements, such as the shorelines of Kachirho on Kashyyyk, the Juggernaut series of Wheeled Vehicles were used in place of the heavier Walkers. Their innovative wheel design allows them to roll over soft mud and shallow marshes without nearly as much trouble as a heavy Walker. Speeders See also: Speeders Small, fast and maneuverable, Speeder Bikes were ideal scouting platforms for the well-trained soldiers of the Grand Army of the Republic. The Vehicles were typically deployed in pairs for patrols and recon missions. Aratech Repulsor Company held exclusive rights to all Republic Military Speeder Bike contracts, and provided the best product on the market to Republic forces throughout the conflict. The Galactic Empire would continue to use many of these vehicles for decades after the Clone Wars. The Republic Military supplemented its Walkers with a variety of repulsorlift vehicles designed to act as faster-moving flanking forces. Many Republic tacticians found this complemented the straightforward assault nature of most of the Walkers effectively. Because of their greater speed, repulsor Vehicles were also favored for supply and personnel transfers, particularly in safe-zones. Airspeeders See also: Airspeeders The Republic employed a number of Airspeeders in peacetime and war alike, especially on city-planets such as Coruscant, where Airspeeders were the only practical means of traversing the ecumenopolis. Still, Republic air power consisted of LAAT Gunships, which were technically Space Transports despite the amount of time they spent in the atmosphere. Still, a number of Airspeeders were in use to ferry emergency services, cargo, or personnel to or from the front lines. Starfighters See also: Starfighters Republic Starfighters epitomize the GAR military doctrine focusing on quality of quantity. Most of the fighters have a high rate of survivability, and those that did not were quickly phased out in favor of tougher models. Starfighters of the Republic often fall into one of three categories; Bombers, Fighters, and Jedi Fighters. More so than any other Vehicle type, The Jedi maintained their own fleet of fighters and interceptors design to take advantage of a Jedi’s connection to The Force. Space Transports See also: Space Transports The Republic had a wide assortment of Space Transports dedicated to shifting their Clone Army around the galaxy for a plethora of mission profiles and conditions. However, their ability to supply those troops with food, ammunition and supplies while in the field was limited, and considered a great weakness in comparison to the well-oiled Separatist supply machine. However, when it came to inserting troops under combat conditions, the Republic’s troop transports were able to perform like no other force in the history of the galaxy. Capital Ships See also: Capital Ships The Grand Army of the Republic was fortunate in that when it was delivered to the Republic, it was not just a vast ground army of clone troopers, but all the weapons of war to go with them. The Republic Navy was initially built around the ''Acclamator''-Class Assault Ship, but soon swelled with numerous designs from Kuat Drive Yards and other sources. Most maintained a design continuity focused on large wedge-shaped craft, but in their desperation, the Republic drew ships from whatever sources were available, nationalizing some planetary militias. Civilian and Neutral Vehicles While most innovation in the galaxy was due to the Confederacy and Republic developing new engines of destruction, many new technologies fell into non-government hands as well. Several of these Vehicles are designed for peaceful purposes, but some find more nefarious uses for them. Ground Vehicles Citizens throughout the galaxy have a need to travel quickly and inexpensively; and not everyone in the galaxy can afford their own Starship. Most sentients travel in a simple Landspeeder or Speeder Bike, or other more primitive means of transportation. Many of these Vehicles take easily to modification, allowing some to transform them into something more suitable for a racetrack or warzone. Wheeled Vehicles See also: Wheeled Vehicles Most of the galaxy uses the repulsorlift as the main mode of transportation, but some civilizations were only recently discovered by the rest of the galaxy. Many of these more primitive planets already had vast transportation infrastructures based around Wheeled Vehicle designs. While most of these worlds eventually adapt repulsors, some are slower to change and instead continue to develop wheeled designs. Speeders See also: Speeders Exceedingly popular among the youth of the galaxy, the Speeder Bike is both fast and maneuverable. The high-speed Vehicles are very popular in The Outer Rim, where the distances between towns on some backwater worlds is vast, and they are able to drastically cut down travel times. Virtually every planet in the galaxy has a problem with swoop gangs to some degree, who use the Vehicles to embark on campaigns of terror throughout their turf. Easily the most commonly found vehicle type in the galaxy, the Landspeeder has changed little in the countless years it has dominated the transportation industry. Used for everything from a two-seater coupe to a mass-transit bus or giant cargo speeder truck, repulsor technology is ubiquitous throughout the Republic and galaxy at large. Airspeeders See also: Airspeeders Airspeeders are common on worlds featuring vertical environments, such as the ecumenopolis of Coruscant or Nar Shaddaa, on the jungles of Kashyyyk or gas giants like Bespin. On these worlds, the ability to change altitudes is a necessity, and swoops and Airspeeders are found everywhere. In contrast, Airspeeders are considerably rare on flatter worlds such as Tatooine, though even there, youth were known to fly T-16 Skyhoppers for recreation. Starfighters See also: Starfighters While Starfighters are often restricted to military use only, such laws typically do not dissuade pirates. Planetary defense forces normally have enough autonomy to commission their own designs for Starfighters, tailoring them to their defense needs. Finally, some very old Starfighters end up available on the second hand market, purchased by bounty hunters, small-volume smugglers, and mercenary troupes. Space Transports See also: Space Transports Private commercial shipping has been a backbone of the galactic economy since time immemorial. Gigantic shipping corporations, such as Azzameen Transports, all the way down to the independent trader all require freighters of a variety of shapes and sizes. Passenger ships are also common throughout the galaxy, from giant passenger liners full of poor sentients in steerage, to the most extravagant luxury yachts ferrying the fantastically wealthy. Capital Ships See also: Capital Ships Planets with a healthy dose of sovereignty and paranoia often had their own fleets of capital-scale craft. While the Republic generally frowned upon this, it was grateful at the onset of the Clone Wars for the additional assets to draw upon. Some governments, however, went into exile or joined the Separatists, bringing their unique warships with them.